【Technical Field】
The present invention relates to a battery module and a battery pack
including the same, and more particularly, to a battery module which is capable
10 of simultaneously improving safety and maintaining rigidity of a battery module,
and a battery pack including the same.
【Background】
In modern society, as the use of portable devices, such as mobile
phones, notebook computers, camcorders, and digital cameras, has become
15 commonplace, the development of technologies related to the mobile devices
has become active. Further, a rechargeable secondary battery is a measure to
solve the air pollution of existing gasoline vehicles that use fossil fuels, and is
used as a power source for an Electric Vehicle (EV), a Hybrid Electric Vehicle
(HEV), a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (P-HEV), and the like, so that the need
20 for development of the secondary battery is increasing.
Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel cadmium
batteries, nickel hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, lithium secondary
batteries, and the like, and among them, the lithium secondary battery is in the
2
spotlight for its advantages in that charge and discharge are free because of
minimal memory effect, a self-discharge rate is very low, and energy density is
very high, compared to the nickel-based secondary battery.
The lithium secondary battery mainly uses a lithium-based oxide and a
5 carbon material as a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode
active material, respectively. The lithium secondary battery includes an
electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode
plate, to which the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode
active material are applied, respectively, are disposed with a separator
10 interposed therebetween, and an exterior material, that is, a battery case, that
seals and accommodates the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.
In general, the lithium secondary battery may be classified into a cantype secondary battery in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a metal
can, and a pouch-type secondary battery in which the electrode assembly is
15 embedded in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, according to a shape of
the exterior material.
In the case of the secondary batteries used in small devices, two or
three battery cells are disposed, but in the case of the secondary batteries used
in medium and large devices, such as automobiles, a battery module in which
20 the plurality of battery cells are electrically connected is used. The plurality of
battery cells are connected to each other in series or in parallel to form a cell
assembly, so that the battery module has improved capacity and output.
Further, one or more battery modules may be mounted together with various
control and protection systems, such as a Battery Management System (BMS)
3
and a cooling system to form a battery pack.
In the case where the battery pack is configured by connecting the
plurality of battery cells in series/in parallel, the battery module formed of at
least one battery cell is first configured, and the battery pack is configured by
5 adding other constituent elements by using at least one battery module, which
is a general method. The number of battery modules included in the battery
pack or the number of battery cells included in the battery module may be
variously set according to an output voltage or charge/discharge capacity
demanded.
10 Since it is desirable that the medium and large battery modules are
manufactured in a lightweight and thin structure, a prismatic battery, a pouchtype battery, and the like that can be stacked with a high degree of integration
and have a small weight and large capacity are mainly used as battery cells of
the medium and large battery modules. In the meantime, in order to protect
15 the cell stack from outside shock, heat, or vibration, the battery module may
include a frame member which receives the battery cell stack in an interior
space while covering upper, lower, left, and right surfaces of the battery cell
stack.
Since several battery cells included inside the battery module have a
20 stacked structure, a venting hole structure may be applied to quickly discharge
heat and flames to the outside when ignition occurs in the battery module unit.
However, in this case, there is a problem in that foreign substances flow into the
venting hole, and rigidity of the battery module is decreased due to the
application of the venting hole.
4
The above information disclosed in this section is only for enhancement
of understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore it may
contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this
country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
5 【Summary】
The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a battery
module which is capable of effectively discharging heat and flames to the
outside when ignition occurs in the battery module, maintaining rigidity of the
battery module, preventing inflow of foreign substances, and preventing rapid
10 spread of flames, and a battery pack including the same.
However, the objective of the exemplary embodiments of the present
invention is not limited to the foregoing objective, and may be variously
extended within the scope of the technical spirit included in the present
invention.
15 An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a battery
module, including: a battery cell stack including one or more battery cells; and a
housing for accommodating the battery cell stack, in which the housing includes
a pattern structure in which holes are formed in a repetitive shape in at least
one surface, and the battery module further includes an extinguishing sheet
20 disposed between the pattern structure and the battery cell stack.
The pattern structure may be a truss structure in which a shape of the
hole is a triangle.
The housing may be made of a metal.
The battery module may further include one pair of end plates disposed
5
at the ends in a longitudinal direction of the battery cell stack, in which the
housing may be formed to correspond to four surfaces of the battery cell stack
that are not covered by the end plates, and the pattern structure may not be
disposed on a surface corresponding to a bottom surface of the battery cell
5 stack among the four surfaces.
The pattern structure may be disposed on one surface of the housing
corresponding to an upper surface of the battery cell stack.
The pattern structure may be disposed on the entirety of the one surface
of the housing corresponding to the upper surface of the battery cell stack.
10 The pattern structure may be disposed only on a part of the one surface
of the housing corresponding to the upper surface of the battery cell stack.
The pattern structure may be disposed on one surface of the housing
corresponding to any one of side surfaces of the battery cell stack.
The extinguishing sheet may include one or more extinguishing agents
15 selected from the group consisting of inorganic carbonates, inorganic
phosphates, and inorganic sulfates.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a
battery pack including: said at least one battery module, and a pack case
configured to pack at least one battery module.
20 According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is
possible to effectively disharge heat and flames to the outside when ignition
occurs in a battery module, maintain rigidity of the battery module, prevent
foreign substances from being introduced, and simultaneously prevent flame
from being rapidly spread.
6
【Brief Description of the Drawings】
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 1.
5 FIG. 3 is a top view of the battery module of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to
another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to
still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
10 【Detailed Description】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more fully with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of
the invention are shown
However, the present invention can be variously implemented and is not
15 limited to the following embodiments.
Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as
illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Like reference numerals designate like
elements throughout the specification.
In addition, the size and thickness of each configuration shown in the
20 drawings are arbitrarily shown for understanding and ease of description, but
the present invention is not limited thereto. In the drawings, the thickness of
layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings,
for understanding and ease of description, the thickness of some layers and
areas is exaggerated.
7
Further, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film,
region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be
directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In
contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element,
5 there are no intervening elements present. Further, in the specification, the
word “on” means positioning on or below the object portion, but does not
essentially mean positioning on the upper side of the object portion based on a
gravity direction.
In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word
10 “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be
understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of
any other elements.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded
15 perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a top view of the
battery module of FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, a battery module 100 according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell stack
400 including one or more battery cells, a housing 200 for accommodating the
20 battery cell stack 400, and a pair of end plates 300 positioned at both ends of
the battery cell stack 400 in a longitudinal direction and coupled to openings of
the housing 200.
The battery cell stack 400 is an assembly of secondary batteries
including a plurality of battery cells 112. The battery cell stack 400 may
8
include a plurality of battery cells 112, and each battery cell includes an
electrode lead. The batter cells 112 may be the pouch-type battery cell having
a plate shape, but are not limited thereto. The electrode lead is a positive
electrode lead or a negative electrode lead, and an end of the electrode lead of
5 each battery cell 112 may be bent in one direction, and thus, may be in contact
with an end of the electrode lead of another adjacent battery cell 112. The two
electrode leads which are in contact with each other may be fixed by welding
and the like, and thus, the battery cells 112 inside the battery cell stack 400 may
be electrically connected.
10 Further, a bus bar frame 500 accommodated in the housing 200 may be
provided together with the battery cell stack 400. The bus bar frame 500 may
include an upper frame 510 positioned on an upper portion of the battery cell
stack 400, a front fame 520 positioned on a front surface of the battery cell
stack 400, and a rear frame 530 positioned on a rear surface of the battery cell
15 stack 400. A bus bar 540 connected with the electrode leads of the battery
cells configuring the battery cell stack 400 may be mounted to the front frame
520 and the rear frame 530.
The plurality of battery cells 112 are vertically stacked so that the
electrode leads are aligned in one direction to form the battery cell stack 400.
20 The battery cell stack 400 is accommodated in the housing 200 including at
least one opening open in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell stack 400.
In this case, the electrode leads are withdrawn to the outside of the housing 200
through the opening, and the withdrawn electrode leads are coupled to the front
frame 520 and the rear frame 530 of the bus bar frame 500, respectively, to be
9
electrically connected with the mounted bus bar 540. Herein, the bus bar
frame 500 may be made of an insulating material, for example, non-conductive
synthetic resin, and the bus bar 540 may be made of a conductive metal
material.
5 The battery module 100 may include a Flexible Printed Circuit Board
(FPCB) (not illustrated) extended and mounted in the longitudinal direction of
the housing 200 in the upper portion of the battery cell stack 400 to sense the
battery cell 112. Further, the battery module 100 may include various
electronic components, for example, an Internal Circuit Board (ICB) and a
10 Battery Management System (BMS). The electronic components, such as the
ICB and the BMS board, may be electrically connected with the plurality of
battery cells 112.
In the battery module 100 according to the present exemplary
embodiment, the housing 200 may be formed to cover four surfaces, except for
15 both side ends, of the battery cell stack 400. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 2,
the battery cell stack 400 may have an upper surface and a bottom surface in
the upper portion and the lower portion in the z-axis direction, respectively, and
an upper surface 200a of the housing 200 may be located at a position
corresponding to the upper surface of the battery cell stack 400 and a lower
20 surface 200b of the housing 200 may be located at a position corresponding to
the bottom surface of the battery cell stack 400, and one pair of side surfaces
200c corresponding to the side surfaces of the battery cell stack 400 may be
positioned between the upper surface 200a and the lower surface 200b. In
this case, the housing 200 may have a rectangular tube shape as illustrated in
10
FIG. 2, but is not limited thereto, and may also have a structure in which a Ushape frame formed of the lower surface 200b and one pair of side surfaces
200c that are vertically coupled to both sides of the lower surface 200b is
coupled with an upper plate that is coupled to the U-shape frame to form the
5 upper surface 200a. In addition, the housing 200 may have a structure in
which an inverted U-shaped frame formed of the upper surface 200a and both
side surfaces 200c is coupled with a lower plate forming the lower surface 200b,
but is not particularly limited. Further, although not illustrated, a curve
corresponding to the shape of the lower portion of the battery cell 112 included
10 in the battery cell stack 400 is formed inside the lower surface 200b of the
housing on which the battery cell stack 400 is seated, thereby more stably
supporting the battery cell 112. Further, although not illustrated, a heat
conductive resin layer may also be formed between the battery cell stack 400
and the lower surface 200b to discharge heat generating from the battery cells
15 112.
The housing 200 may be made of a metal material. The metal material
may be one or more selected from steel and aluminum. End plates 300 are
coupled to each open ends of the housing 200, respectively. The end plate
300 may be made of a metal material to have rigidity to protect the components,
20 such as the battery cell stack 400 and the bus bar frame 500, inside thereof.
The end plate 300 made of the metal material may be coupled to the housing
200 which is also made of the metal material, by a method of welding and the
like.
The housing 200 may include a pattern structure 210 formed of holes
11
210a having a repetitive shape on at least one surface. By including the
pattern structure 210 in the housing 200 made of the metal material, when an
issue, such as ignition, occurs inside the battery module 100, gas may be easily
discharged through the holes 210a of the pattern structure 210. That is, the
5 holes 210a of the pattern structure 210 may serve as venting holes. Further,
even though the pattern structure 210 including the plurality of holes 210a is
formed, the holes 210a have a repetitive shape, thereby maintaining rigidity of
the battery module 100. Particularly, the pattern structure 210 may have a
truss structure in which the holes 210a have a triangular shape. That is, as
10 illustrated in FIG. 3, in the case where the pattern structure 210 has the truss
structure in which a beam made of a metal is connected so that triangular holes
210a are formed, even if external force is applied, the shape of the pattern
structure 210 is not changed easily, so that it is possible to maintain rigidity.
Accordingly, one surface of the housing 200 (in the present exemplary
15 embodiment, the upper surface 200a) has an open portion that serves as the
venting hole, and simultaneously, it is possible to maintain rigidity of the housing
200 by the pattern structure 210.
An extinguishing sheet 600 can be disposed between the pattern
structure 210 and the battery cell stack 400. By the disposition of the
20 extinguishing sheet 600, it is possible to prevent foreign substances from being
introduced from the outside through the holes 210a of the pattern structure 210.
Further, when ignition and the like occur inside the battery module 100, carbon
dioxide gas is discharged under thermal runaway conditions by an extinguishing
agent included in the extinguishing sheet 600, so that the battery module 100
12
has a self-extinguishing function capable of suppressing the combustion
reaction itself. This may weaken or eliminate the flames, thereby delaying the
spread of the flames to the surroundings. Extinguishing agents may be
included in the extinguishing sheet 600, and as the extinguishing agent, one or
5 more selected from the group consisting of inorganic carbonates, inorganic
phosphates, and inorganic sulfates may be used, but is not particularly limited.
As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment of the
present invention, the battery module includes the pattern structure 210 in
which the holes 210a are formed in a repetitive shape in at least one surface of
10 the housing 200 and includes the extinguishing sheet 600 disposed between
the pattern structure 210 and the battery cell stack 400, so that even though the
battery module 100 includes the plurality of holes 210a acting as the vent holes
when ignition occurs inside the battery module 100, it is possible to maintain
rigidity of the housing 200 and simultaneously prevent foreign substances from
15 being introduced from the outside. Further, it is possible to decrease the
speed at which the flames spread by the extinguishing sheet 600, thereby
improving safety of the battery module 100.
Next, another exemplary embodiment and still another exemplary
embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
20 FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to
another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an
exploded perspective view of a battery module according to still another
exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, in another exemplary embodiment of the present
13
invention, a pattern structure 210 formed of holes 210a in a repetitive shape is
formed in any one of side surfaces 200c of a housing 200. In this case, an
extinguishing sheet 600 may be disposed between the side surface 200c in
which the pattern structure 210 is formed and a battery cell stack 400. Even in
5 the case where the pattern structure 210 is formed in the side surface 200c as
described above, it is possible to maintain rigidity of the housing 200 and
simultaneously, the holes 210a included in the pattern structure 210 may act as
the vent holes when ignition occurs inside a battery module 100. Further, FIG.
4 illustrates the pattern structure 210 formed only in the side surface 200c, but
10 the pattern structure 210 may be formed in the side surface 200c and an upper
surface 200a at the same time, and the pattern structure 210 may be formed in
both side surfaces 200c. However, in the case of a lower surface 200b where
the battery module 100 is mounted to a battery pack or a device, the lower
surface 200b is not suitable for discharging flames and the like to the outside
15 when ignition occurs, so that it is preferable that the pattern structure 210 is
formed in the portions except for the lower surface 200b.
Further, as illustrated in FIG. 5, in still another exemplary embodiment of
the present invention, a pattern structure 210 formed of holes 210a in a
repetitive shape is formed only in a part of an upper surface 200a of a housing
20 200. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the pattern structure 210 and the portion
in which the pattern structure is not formed may be repeated in a stripe shape,
and contrary to this, the pattern structure 210 may be applicable only to a center
portion of the upper surface 200a. By the foregoing configuration, it is possible
to maintain rigidity of the housing 200, and simultaneously the holes 210a
14
included in the pattern structure 210 may act as the vent holes when ignition
occurs inside the battery module 100. Further, in this case, an extinguishing
sheet 600 may be disposed between the upper surface 200a and a battery cell
stack 400. FIG. 5 illustrates that extinguishing sheet 600 corresponds to the
5 whole upper surface 200a, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and
any position that can cover all of the holes 210a included in the pattern structure
210 may be appropriately applied.
As described above, according to the exemplary embodiments of the
present invention, the battery module includes the pattern structure 210 in
10 which the holes 210a are formed in a repetitive shape in at least one surface of
the housing 200 and includes the extinguishing sheet 600 disposed between
the pattern structure 210 and the battery cell stack 400, so that it is possible to
maintain rigidity of the housing 200 and simultaneously, the holes 210a included
in the pattern structure 210 may act as the vent holes when ignition occurs
15 inside the battery module 100, thereby improving safety of the battery module
100. Further, it is possible to decrease the speed of the spread of flames by
the extinguishing sheet 600, thereby further improving safety of the battery
module 100.
In the meantime, the battery module according to the exemplary
20 embodiment of the present invention may be packed in one or more cases to
form a battery pack.
The battery module and the battery pack including the same described
above may be applied to various devices. As the device, transport means,
such as an electric bicycle, an electric vehicle, and a hybrid vehicle, are
15
applicable, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present
invention is applicable to various devices capable of using a battery module and
a battery pack including the same, which also belongs to the scope of the
present invention.
5 Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been
described in detail, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the
embodiment. Various changes and modifications using the basic concept of
the present invention defined in the accompanying claims by those skilled in the
art shall be construed to belong to the scope of the present invention.

【CLAIMS】
【Claim 1】
A battery module, comprising:
a battery cell stack including one or more battery cells;
5 a housing for the battery cell stack; and
an extinguishing sheet,
wherein at least one surface of the housing comprises a pattern
structure,
wherein the pattern structure comprises a plurality of holes in a
10 repetitive shape, and
wherein the extinguishing sheet is disposed between the pattern
structure of the housing and the battery cell stack.
【Claim 2】
15 The battery module of claim 1, wherein:
the pattern structure is a truss structure in which each of the plurality of
holes is a triangle.
【Claim 3】
20 The battery module of claim 1, wherein:
the housing comprises a metal.
【Claim 4】
17
The battery module of claim 1, further comprising:
a pair of end plates disposed at each respective end in a longitudinal
direction of the battery cell stack,
wherein the housing is formed on surfaces of the battery cell stack that
5 are not covered by the end plates, and
wherein the pattern structure of the housing is not present in a portion of
the housing corresponding to a bottom surface of the battery cell stack.
【Claim 5】
10 The battery module of claim 4, wherein:
the pattern structure is disposed on a surface of the housing
corresponding to an upper surface of the battery cell stack.
【Claim 6】
15 The battery module of claim 5, wherein:
the pattern structure is disposed on the entirety of the surface of the
housing corresponding to the upper surface of the battery cell stack.
【Claim 7】
20 The battery module of claim 5, wherein:
the pattern structure is disposed on a portion of the surface of the
housing corresponding to the upper surface of the battery cell stack.
18
【Claim 8】
The battery module of claim 4, wherein:
the pattern structure is disposed on a surface of the housing
corresponding to a side surface of the battery cell stack.
5
【Claim 9】
The battery module of claim 1, wherein:
the extinguishing sheet includes one or more extinguishing agents
selected from the group consisting of inorganic carbonates, inorganic
10 phosphates, and inorganic sulfates.
【Claim 10】
A battery pack comprising:
at least one battery module of claim 1, and
15 a case configured to accommodate the at least one battery module.